244 • Marine Minerals: Exploring Our New Ocean Frontier 



Photo credit: U. S. Geological Survey 



Deep-sea Hydrothermal vent communities consist of exotic life forms such as these giant tube worms and crabs 



from the East Pacific Rise. 



recognition of these species' presence, the more 

 densely populated areas have been excluded from 

 leasing. 



Gorda Ridge Task Force Efforts 



In 1983, a draft Environmental Impact State- 

 ment was circulated by the Minerals Management 

 Service in preparation for a polymetallic sulfide 

 minerals lease offering in the Gorda Ridge area. 

 Much of the discussions of potential environmental 

 impacts drew from the DOMES work because there 

 was litde site-specific information to summarize. 

 In response to concerns that there was too little in- 

 formation to adequately characterize the effects of 

 any prospecting or mining operation, the Gorda 

 Ridge Task Force was set up to augment the draft 

 EIS. 



The major research efforts focused on charac- 

 terization of the mineral resources and led to the 

 discovery of large deposits in the southern Gorda 

 Ridge. However, a series of reports was also pre- 

 pared by the State of Oregon under the Task 

 Force's oversight summarizing the state of scien- 

 tific information relating to the biology and ecol- 

 ogy of the Gorda Ridge Study Area. The reports 

 included information on the benthos," nekton,^" 



"M.A. Boudrias and G.L. Taghon, The State of Scientiric Infor- 

 mation Relating to Biological and Ecological Processes in the Region 

 of the Gorda Ridge, Northeast Pacific Ocean: Benthos, State of Ore- 

 gon, Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, OR, 

 Open File Report 0-86-6, February 1986. 



'»J.T. Harvey and D.L. Stein, The State of Scientific Information 

 Relating to the Biology and Ecology of the Gorda Ridge Study Area, 

 Northeast Pacific Ocean: Nekton, State of Oregon, Department of 

 Geology and "Mineral Industries, Pordand, OR, Open File Report 

 0-86-7, February 1986. 



